victimless crime

Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

vic·tim·less crime

(vĭk′tĭm-lĭs)

An illegal act that results in no identifiable person being directly harmed.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

victimless crime

(ˈvɪktɪmləs)

(Law) a type of crime, such as insurance fraud, regarded by some people as being excusable because the victim is the state or an organization, rather than an individual

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

vic′tim•less crime′

(ˈvɪk təm lɪs)
n.

a legal offense, as prostitution or gambling, to which participating parties have consented.

[1960–65]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

victimless crime - an act that is legally a crime but that seem to have no victims; "he considers prostitution to be a victimless crime"

crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offense, offence - (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; "a long record of crimes"

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

"It's not a victimless crime, there are victims created throughout the whole supply chain.

Man is held in drugs probe

Taking cocaine is not a victimless crime -- it fuels violent gang warfare.

Gove crossed a line on coke; SAIRA KHAN; Our award-winning columnist @iamsairakhan

Defence solicitor Stuart Murray said his client considered the theft a "victimless crime" and claimed his only defence was that he was addicted to gambling.

Gambling addict stole and stashed PS9k from casino; Court: Thief had been banned from every betting establishment in England before coming to city

Joe Hendry, assistant director of HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service, said VAT fraud was "not a victimless crime".

5 people charged over PS12m VAT fraud

The Victimless Crime? report said it can take up to four-and-a-half months for the ATM to reopen following an attack - impacting on the local economy and depriving nearby residents of their access to cash for a significant time period.

UK experiencing an "epidemic" of criminal attacks on cash machines, report warns; The report also predicts that the number of attacks could more than triple between 2016 and 2025 as more bank branches close

"There really is no such thing as victimless crime. We all end up paying the price."

PSNI seize tech goods in searches

Older and somewhat wiser, they question each other's account of events, turning this entertaining thriller into a commentary on the glamorisation of on-screen violence and crime, proving there is no 'victimless crime'.

AMERICAN ANIMALS (15) HHHH H [...]

"Some people may see this as a victimless crime but they are wrong.

Aladdin's counterfeit cave

Hertfordshire council's David Williams said: "People often think insurance is a victimless crime but it generates enormous costs that are borne by the public."

Car scam boss fined

PC Nicola Owen, from Barry police station, said: "Theft from shops is not a victimless crime.

Success for shoplifting patrols

"People may think shoplifting is a victimless crime, however, it could result in price increases for everyone else."

Do you know any of these North Tyneside people that police want to trace as they investigate shoplifting crimes; Officers want to these speak to people in the images after a number of thefts across the North Tyneside area

Supt Rich Baker said: "Most people wrongly believe that shoplifting is a victimless crime, whereas our experience tells us that almost three quarters of all people brought into custody and test positive for drugs have been arrested on suspicion of thefts from shops or market stalls.